Onward ho...

All good things must come to an end.  The last bit of an ice cream cone.  The last page of a great book.  The final chord of a favorite hymn.  The final steps across the finish line of an amazing race.  And yes, even maternity leave.

This past week has been a celebration of my time at home with Baby K.  We’ve spent more time physically active together.  We had two great power walks this week.  Wednesday was the usual trip to the library.  The day was bright and sunny.  I actually had to take off my track jacket halfway through because (a) it was warm and (b) I was working hard enough to generate a good lather. 

On Friday, Baby K and I had Striders business over at Quiet Waters (mark your calendars for the Anniversary Run 15K on December 14).  While we were there, and since it was an amazing day, we decided to get in our power walk there.  The trail that rings the park was surprisingly bustling with walkers, joggers and strollers for mid-day during the work week.

I’m not much of a walker, but one of the interesting things I’ve learned while power walking these past several weeks with Baby K is that walking can be a great glute workout – especially when you focus on your foot strike, speed and stead movement.  I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve finished and felt like I’d done a workout especially focused on that particularly troublesome muscle for women.  While I’m happy to be moving back into full-time running (not as a function of time or fitness, but because I’ll be going back to my lunch time runs at work), I’ve learned a bit about the benefits of walking.

In addition to the two power walks, I also logged three runs.  Wednesday and Thursday I took on my usual 4 mile route out College Parkway to Log Inn Road and back.  You can tell spring sports season is upon us because I had to play chicken with a number of soccer mom vehicles all rushing to get their kids to practice at Bay Head Park.  Car dodging aside, finding the rhythm that works for my feet, my heart and my head has been invigorating.  You don’t realize how much something is part of you are forced into a bit of a vacation.  This particular route is familiar enough to help me regain that rhythm.

Saturday found me back on the streets of DTA (that’s downtown Annapolis for you non-Annapolitans) with my bestest of best running buddies, Brie.  I was so happy to be hitting the pavement with her.  It’s been months…at least since October.  It’s funny, at the end of 2012 and into 2013 I was getting faster and she was slowing down as she advanced in her pregnancy.  Then this past year she was getting faster as I was slowing down as I advanced in pregnancy.  For the next future period of time, I think we’re both moving forward and eventually I will regain my speed so I don’t slow her down anymore.

Sun and warm spring temperatures propelled us through DTA, across the Naval Academy and back through her neighborhood to browse the yard sales as we made our way back to her house.  It was slow, but improving.  Give me another month and I bet I can bring my average pace down to 9-10 minutes per mile. 

As for the weight loss challenge – week one saw me with an overall body percentage loss of nearly 2%.  I’m not going to lie, ensuring I put down 100 ounces of water a day was tough but the daily booty blast workout was tougher.  Oh yeah, and then I learned that I was doing more than necessary…in fact double on those exercises that should have been alternating legs not the rep number per leg.  Who knows, maybe as a result my booty will be that much more irresistible come bikini season.

So as I return to a more normal routine, back to work, back to normal, I will look back on maternity leave fondly for what it taught me and the time it gave me to be with Baby K but I will look forward to really getting that rhythm back – or maybe even a better rhythm.  Happy trails!!!  

Stats – (There’s a week worth of backlog here, so bear with me)

Miles:  4.01 (Wed), 4.1 (Wed power walk); 4.25 (Thurs); 4.22 (Fri power walk); 7.15 (Sat)

Times:  42:12 (10:31); 1:03:47 (15:33); 45:40 (10:44); 1:10:00 (16:35); 1:19:30 (11:07)

Location:  Broadneck Peninsula and Quiet Waters Park

Feeling:  everything works, despite the exhausted glutes from the booty blast workouts
 

The long haul...

I have a feeling the road to my previous running self is going to be very long and riddled with numerous obstacles, but I'm in it for the long haul. 

I'm going to make a confession...my body isn't what it was before I became pregnant...shocker, I know.  That body had a few years of hard, consistent endurance training in it.  It was strong.  It had great improvements in speed and consistency.  This body, well, doesn't.

This body is slow and less muscular.  It is cumbersome and out of breath sooner.  It can't go as far.  But it will.

As long as I'm confessing, let me also lay this one on the table...I'm carrying an extra 32 pounds on my frame.  32 pounds that I wasn't carrying last May and need to shed.

None of the obstacles will keep me from clawing my way back to my old running self.  Scratch that...my better running self.  The running self that will come back leaner, faster and stronger.

I'm under no delusions that this will be easy, or that it will happen soon.  It's going to take time, commitment and the support and understanding of my family.  And while I'm on the subject, thank the good Lord for a family who knows how important this is to my physical and emotional well-being.  My family is incredibly supportive of me doing what I need to be awesome.

Why not take this journey with me?  Hold me accountable to what I want to accomplish this year.

So, how have I used the first part of March to reach for my goals?  I've managed to put in four official workouts (though I really believe I should get credit for running up and down all those stairs during the day trying to keep an infant calm). 

The gym workouts and runs are just that - gym workouts and runs.  Nothing to write home about or brag worthy.  They get the job done.  Did I mention my gym provides free childcare while working out?  Priceless for the mom on the run who needs a babysitter to squeeze in that workout.  The gym also has something the road workouts can't bring to the table...weights for strength training.

Of those four official workouts, one was back on the roads of the Broadneck Peninsula.  Friday evening I got to lay down four well-earned miles while watching the colors change across the sky as dusk fell over Annapolis.  Pretty scenery (and an out and back course) keep me motivated to finish the run when my body just wants to walk.  I can't wait to up that mileage and get back on some of my other favorite routes across the area.

I've got a lot coming down the pike in the next several months - more endurance improvement, more races and new challenges (I signed up for a barre class at my gym) - and I'm looking forward to every sweaty moment (Diva now equates sweat with working hard).  I know I'm behind in mileage, but I don't believe in backing down from a challenge.  I still believe I can do this.  Happy trails!!!

Stats -
Miles:  3.1 (3/1/14), 3.12 (3/6/14), 4.04 (3/7/14), 3.0 (3/8/14)
Time:  35:03 (3/1/14), 31:45 (3/6/14), 45:40 (3/7/14), 32:00 (3/8/14)
Location:  Greater Annapolis Y and the Broadneck Peninsula
Feeling:  earning it

Oh glorious day...

Today was BEAUTIFUL!!!  I can't say enough about what a pleasure it was to be running on a day like today.  The temp was in the mid-70s, the sky was clear and the humidity was manageable.  I would be fine if the rest of the year was just like today.  Yesterday, however, was a totally different story and I guess I need to start there.

Friday was hot, humid and all things sticky.  It was way too hot to be running outside in the middle of the day and normally I would have taken this as a rest day.  Why, then, was I running at the height of this day that was designed for a treadmill workout?  Because the new Joovy Zoom 360 came in and we just had to take it for a spin.  Nothing too strenuous, mind you.  Just a quick two miles to check out the performance versus the old Baby Trend Expedition.

I must say, I am in love.  The Zoom 360 works like a dream.  All those things I hated about the old jogging stroller?  They don't exist with this one.  There are no exposed hard plastic areas for the diva to knock her head against when we hit bumps, the maneuverability is 100% improved and the stroller has a suspension system, so it has an amazing ride.  Did I mention that it came with cup holders too?  If I were a kid I would probably live in this stroller.  The diva seems to like it too.

Now for today.  Oh the glorious day we had.  This morning, the diva and my husband headed out to a family fair over at the base, which left me some time to run and do some cleaning around the house.  I started with the run. 

It was so comfortable out that I just hit a rhythm and kept going.  If I didn't have so much I wanted to accomplish, I would have made it a 10 miles day.  As it was, I limited it to just over five and took one of my less usual routes.  I headed over to Broadneck Park and wound through the walking path there, headed over to Cape St. Claire and hugged the curvy windy roads down to the shopping center and turned back to home with gas left in the engine.  I even raced a lizard up the connector from Cape St. Claire road to Old Cape St. Claire Road.  It felt amazing.

And that was just the start.  The day kept giving and I was willing to take.  We ended the day out on a friend's boat watching the sun set and the stars brighten the sky to the chorus of kids laughing while feeding chips to the ducks.  It doesn't get any better than this.  Happy trails!!!

Stats for Friday -
Miles:  2.14
Time:   20:15 (average pace of 9:27...better than with the old stroller)
Location:  Chesapeake Preserve
Feeling:  tight hamstrings but great stroller

Stats for Today -
Miles:  5.3
Time:   45:16 (average pace of 8:32 per mile)
Location:  Broadneck Park to Cape St. Claire and home
Feeling:  tight hamstrings but the rest of it was great....maybe it's time to hit the icy hot again